This recipe was inspired by the beautiful vegan layered cheesecakes I see daily on my Instagram feed – some of them are truly flawless! I’ve always been in awe of them, but repeatedly thought they were too time-consuming and hard to make, which is why up until now I’ve never made them before. As it’s 2018 and I’m all about making new and exciting content this year, I decided it was time to get my bum in gear, put the hours in and create a dessert which hopefully you’ll find just as beautiful as the other vegan cheesecakes on the internet!

These little cheesecake bites are truly delicious. The bottom layer is made out of dates, pecans, almonds and cocoa powder, creating a rich, nutty and moreish base which I can’t get enough of! The next layer is a creamy, sweet and light vanilla cheesecake, made out of cashews nuts (and a few extras ingredients) – who knew cashew nuts could turn into the most delicious creamy consistency when blended?! The top layer is a fruity, slightly tangy blueberry cheesecake which finishes of the mini bites so perfectly. All three layers together make a moreish, yummy and healthy cheesecake alternative.

Cashew nuts really are one the most versatile nuts. Their mild flavour makes them the perfect hidden ingredient in all kinds of recipes. If you didn’t know what this cheesecake was made out of, I’m positive you wouldn’t guess it was cashews! Soaking them overnight is a great tip that many healthy bloggers/recipe creators have been using to make cheesecakes vegan and dairy free for a while now, and I’m so glad I’ve jumped on the bandwagon! The soaking process is crucial, otherwise your cashews won’t blend into a beautiful creamy consistency. I found myself making these bites a little late in the afternoon and forgot to soak my cashews overnight (you can tell I hadn’t done it before!) I read a quick tip online about soaking them in boiling water to seed up to process, which meant they were ready to blend in under two hours which was perfect!

These raw cheesecake bites are;

Completely vegan, gluten and dairy free
Rich, nutty and chocolatey at the base
Sweet, creamy and light in the middle
Fruit, tangy and fresh on top
Very simple to create – just make sure you have time!

Ingredients

Chocolate Base

1 cup medjool dates, de-stoned (150g)

1/2 cup whole almonds (75g)

1/2 cup pecans (50g)

2 tbsp cocoa powder

Cheesecake Layers

1 1/2 cup cashew nuts, soaked in water overnight* (225g)

1/4 cup almond milk (62ml)

5 tbsp maple syrup

4 tbsp coconut oil, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup fresh blueberries (50g)

*if you don’t have time to soak them overnight, soaking them in boiling water for 1-2 hours will speed up the process.

Method

Start by making the chocolate base. Add all your ingredients to a food processor and pulse until the nuts and dates have broken down. Spoon 2 tbsp into your muffin tray (I used a silicone one) and push down with a slightly wet spoon until the base is tightly packed.

Pop these in the fridge while you make the cheesecake layers.

Drain and rinse your cashew nuts, then add them to your blender (you’ll need a powerful blender for this). Add the remaining cheesecake ingredients to the blender – minus the blueberries and blend until smooth and creamy.

Take your muffin tray out of the fridge and pour half the vanilla cheesecake mixture on top of the chocolate base – I found this was around 1 – 1.5 tbsp in each tray. Don’t fill all the way to the top of the muffin tray, as you still need space for the blueberry layer.

Next, add the blueberries to the remaining cheesecake mixture in the blender and pulse until the berries have broken down – you can add extra if you’d like a more vibrant colour!

Pour the blueberry cheesecake mix on top of the vanilla layer, smoothing it out with the back of a spoon.

Pop them in the fridge overnight to set, or in the freezer for a couple of hours which will speed up the process.

If you’ve made this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @oatsodelicious or #oatsodelicious so I can see your wonderful creations!

Thank you! They’re so easy to make, just need to leave enough time for them to set!

About Me

Sophie Parker

Hey I'm Sophie, a 24 year old Coeliac foodie with a love for healthy breakfast and baking food, based in Lincolnshire. I love creating fun and tasty gluten free recipes to inspire those on a gluten free diet.

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